BSI customer magazine No. 2/11
description
Transcript of BSI customer magazine No. 2/11
FOR CONNOISSEURS The cook does the serving here
FOR EVERYONE Hermes Logistik and ERGO Direkt with new complete solutions
FOR MORE MARKETING The new Release 12.6 is here!
meetingBSI customer magazine I No. 2/11 I www.bsiag.com
Published by: BSI Business Systems Integration AG, Täfernstrasse 16a, CH-5405 Baden
Editor-in-Chief: Catherine B. Crowden, [email protected]
Editor: Christine Hinnen, Winterthur, [email protected]
Design concept: corinta bürgi-cito artdirection, Kilchberg, [email protected]
Translation: Word+Image, Zufikon, [email protected]
Photo credits: Masashi Kuma (Cover, pp 4–8)/Jan Bhalla (pp11)/Catherine B. Crowden (pp12/20)/Stefan Bösch (pp12)/
Jan Battenberg (pp14/15)/Björn Wilke (pp16/17)/Martin Jess (pp18/19)/Shutterstock (pp18)
Lithography and printing: Linkgroup AG, Zurich
Paper: PlanoArt 150 g/m2, wood-free
Frequency of publication: Twice annually in German and English, circulation: 2,900
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meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Index meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Opening
Sushi Sawada CRM applied by a Japanese master 4
BSI CRM Release 12.6 Innovative boost for marketing and sales 10
Break is worth taking a look at 12
ERGO Direkt Versicherung Talk about good things 14
Hermes Logistik Gruppe The test winner chooses BSI 16
Meet the team Martin Jess 18
“THERE IS NO SUSHI-YA IN WHICH THE MASTER WORKS ONLY IN THE BACKGROUND.”Koji Sawada
BSI value number 5
“THE COOK SERVES THE MEAL.”Our teams see a project through from start to finish: from understanding the
customer, to conception and software development, to testing, introduction and
subsequent support. The customer always works with the same staff at BSI, who
in turn always has the same customer, from whom direct feedback is received.
3meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Index meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Opening
W e just opened our seventh office – the second in Germany: in Munich. I am
sometimes asked why we are successful in Germany. Honestly, I don’t know.
It could be our Swiss virtues, or perhaps luck or even our “dual strategy”.
We produce and integrate our software and supply everything from a single source. We
seek to be a partner, from the initial consultation and concept to the completely inte-
grated software solution – even in challenging times – and beyond.
We set up small, high-performance teams. We like what we do, to get involved and to
lend a hand: but that’s not enough. Those who make software for customer relation-
ships, in particular, must understand, feel and experience how a contact center func-
tions, or what everyday business looks like at the counter, in sales or marketing; you
can only help if you understand.
Our value “the cook serves the meal” expresses it best. We want to cook; we love to
cook! And yet, we also seek to serve, to be useful to our customers, to listen and learn
how we can improve in the process.
This is both what makes us special and limits our growth. Around half of our marketing
expenditure goes to recruitment. Each year, we are proud to welcome 20 new BSI team
members, each of whom enjoys working, with software and for people.
Christian A. Rusche
Christian A. Rusche
CEO BSI
The Cook Serves the FoodKoji Sawada of Sushi Sawada
TEXT: MARK ROBINSON
PHOTOS: MASASHI KUMA
Sushi master Koji Sawada does things his way. Before opening his tiny, self-
named restaurant in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district seven years ago, and before
earning the two Michelin stars that testify to his uncompromising quest for
quality, he worked as a parcel delivery man, subcontracting to the major Japanese
trucking firm Sagawa Kyubin. Parcel delivery in Japan is extremely gruelling – but
the pay can be very good. “I wanted to open this restaurant on my own terms, without
going into debt,” Sawada says, of the reason he took the trucking job.
He is 40 years old, a big man with a shaved head and a ready laugh. His imposing
physique is due in part to his childhood love of baseball, and his stint as a high school
4
Sushi master Koji Sawada
enjoys being in the spotlight
while his guests eagerly
follow his every move.
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KEYNOTE
The tiny restaurant in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district is named for its owner, Koji Sawada. Two Michelin stars bear witness to this sushi master’s uncompromising quest for quality. Serving his guests himself comes naturally to Sawada. This is the best way to find out what they want – and thereby embodies the quintessence of the BSI value “the cook serves the meal”.
track-and-field athlete. He is the sole chef and owner
of Sushi Sawada, a seven-seat shrine to sushi – that
quintessential Japanese delicacy of raw fish and other
morsels laid on thumb-sized, vinegared blocks of rice.
His petite wife is his assistant. Asked what attracted
him to the world of high-end sushi, he says simply, “I
always loved fishing.”
Sawada’s route to the top was anything but conventio-
nal. As a rule, the typical sushi-ya (the Japanese word
can refer to both the sushi chef and the sushi restaurant)
only earns his stripes after many years of training. In
his early years, he’ll clean the kitchen and take out the
garbage or wash rice – before he’s even allowed to pre-
pare fish. Often his entry into the business is helped by
family connections. The money to launch a restaurant
may come from a friendly backer.
From newspaper delivery man to sushi-yaSawada had no such advantages: his father died when
Sawada was still at middle school, and though he was
legally underage, he began working newspaper delivery
routes with his older brother. He later lived for several
years as a professional gambler, playing pachinko – Jap-
anese pinball. He also worked as a temporary kitchen-
hand, through which he cultivated his love of food. Over
a span of five years, he visited many sushi-ya, to observe
and absorb techniques. Eventually he decided to take
another gamble, betting that if he opened his own res-
taurant, his familiarity with fish would pay off.
His restaurant, in the western suburbs of Tokyo,
had only five seats, but it was a hit, and it fired
Sawada’s ambition. He decided to move, and this
time he aimed for the top. With money saved from
his trucking job, he sought out the most luxurious
location he could find, where his customers could
expect nothing but the best, and settled on a venue
only metres from the main intersection at Ginza, the
most prestigious of Tokyo’s shopping precincts and a
district that, at the height of the 1980s bubble econo-
my, commanded a real-estate value exceeding that
of the entire state of California.
5meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Keynote BSI Business Systems Integration AG
Sawada goes to nearby Tsukiji,
the world’s large fish market,
to buy his ingredients fresh
nearly every morning.
HIS JOB AS A DELIVERY MAN TAUGHT HIM JUST HOW TO SATISFY CUSTOMERS MORE THAN ANY COOKING COURSE.
The new Sushi Sawada attracted attention, but not only
for the reasons one might expect.
To be sure, customers lauded the quality of Sawada’s
fish, the slightly hard, al dente texture of his rice, his
authoritative good humour, and the austere tranquilli-
ty of his premises, in which traditional honey-colored
timberwork offsets a counter carved from a single raw
slab of white hinoki cypress.
Recognition from competitors and criticsBut what most excited the food critics was the as-
cendance of this humble ex-Sagawa Kyubin trucker to
the hallowed heights of gourmet sushi. On some nights,
Sawada would find his entire counter taken up by ma-
ture shaven-headed men – they were, of course, fellow
sushi chefs, come to check Sawada out. Their bald heads
would surely have twitched again when Sawada won his
Michelin stars in 2008, though no one could claim that
6 meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Keynote BSI Business Systems Integration AG
Sawada‘s sushi delights
with its consummate taste
– so good it seems to melt
in your mouth.
his food did not hit the mark. “I was 31 when I started,
and it’s very unusual for someone that age to start in
sushi,” he says. “But I’m completely independent.”
Sawada attributes some of his success to what he learn-
ed as a delivery man. In fact, he says, the trucking job
taught him more about how to please a customer than
any of his cooking training.
Parcel delivery as the perfect trainingAs anyone who has lived in the country would know,
Japan’s private trucking network reaches almost every
pocket of these islands in a dense and sophisticated web
of intensely competing firms, of which Sagawa Kyubin
is one of the biggest. The drivers work at a frenetic pace
over marathon hours, packing their two-ton trucks with
almost every kind of parcel, from documents to frag-
ile wines, auto parts and furniture, and hauling their
loads through narrow, labyrinthine streets before run-
ning them by hand or on their shoulders or on trolleys
into buildings or up countless flights of stairs. A chief
requirement of the job – along with physical fitness –
is that all drivers be unfailingly polite, and this can be
a particular challenge in Tokyo, where even looking
for a parking spot can drive some people to road rage.
There’s a certain romanticism to the stoic toughness of
the driver-deliveryman, and the best of them, like top
professionals in any field, make the job look easy.
“You’re not just a driver – you’re also doing sales and
customer relations,” says Sawada, adding that the same
qualities make a good sushi master. Indeed, both jobs
demand similar traits: adaptability to different cus-
tomers; punctiliousness and time management skills;
multi-tasking; and an instinct for logistics – whether it’s
working a knife to make the most economical use of a
valuable block of fish, or efficiently packing a truck.
Both jobs also thrust their practitioners into the pub-
lic eye, although the sushi master obviously gets more
scrutiny. Sawada enjoys the spotlight, and his audito-
rium is the intimate space of his restaurant, where the
customers watch his every move. Performance is part
of the sushi-ya’s job, he says, and his responsibility
is not only to produce sublime food, but also to pre-
sent each piece of sushi with perfect style and timing.
“There is no such thing as the sushi-ya where the mas-
ter is only a backstage worker,” he says.
Customer relationships at their bestSawada engages customers in easy banter, by which he
also judges their appetites and their likes and dislikes.
This is crucial as there is no menu at Sushi Sawada,
only a parade of what’s best on the day. For foreign vis-
itors who speak no Japanese, he makes sure to check
preferences with their hotel concierge, or a Japanese-
speaking acquaintance, before taking reservations.
When customers are seated, he slices morsels of tuna
and other fish with a deft and graceful pull of his knife,
or gently sears the outside flesh of rich and fatty toro
tuna belly with hot coals. He squeezes the body-tem-
perature, vinegared rice into bite-size blocks, known
as shari in sushi speak, smearing a dab of wasabi – the
searingly pungent Japanese horseradish – onto it be-
fore firmly placing the fish on top. His rice holds its
shape, yet is loosely packed. “There’s a lot of air be-
tween the grains,” says Sawada, and this is what gives
his sushi a sublime melt-in-the-mouth feel.
Another way Sawada looks after customers is the
attention he pays to portion size. If a couple arrives on
a date, and Sawada judges the woman to be a lighter
eater than the man, he will make her rice blocks smal-
ler, so that both partners can enjoy the same number
of pieces, at the same pace. He keeps a constant eye
7meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Keynote BSI Business Systems Integration AG
THE NEW SUSHI SAWADA ATTRACTED PLENTY OF ATTENTION, YET NOT ONLY FOR REASONS ONE WOULD EXPECT.
on each diner’s progress, and won’t prepare a fresh
piece of sushi for as long as the previous one goes
uneaten. Being able to focus fully on each customer’s
progress is the reason why he limited his restaurant
space to only seven seats – and also goes some way to
explaining why Sushi Sawada is one of Tokyo’s most
expensive places to eat sushi.
Being a top-flight sushi-ya, Sawada does not provide
the little bottle of soy sauce that is standard at main-
stream sushi-ya for customers to pour into small
dishes for dipping their sushi pieces. Sawada seasons
the fish before serving by brushing his own soy
sauce and rice wine blend onto each morsel. But if
you ask for extra soy sauce or wasabi, he will provide
it, and this is a mark of how Sawada belongs to a new
generation of sushi chefs; the old-school sushi mas-
ters would hold that their creations are perfect as
they are, and may even react angrily to a customer’s
meddling with such a crucial factor as seasoning. It’s
worth bearing in mind that the high-end sushi-ya is
an establishment that can be daunting to even well-
heeled Japanese, who would most likely defer to the
master’s judgement in everything to do with their
meal, so Sawada’s philosophy that the customer is
king, and should be permitted to tailor his or her
meal to personal taste, is a significant departure.
Sawada will even go so far as to (horror of horrors
for the old guard!) slice a piece of sushi in two, if
that’s what the customer wants.
On the flipside, is there any etiquette that he wishes
his diners would observe? “The worst thing is when a
customer doesn’t tell me he or she has allergies or in-
tolerances,” he says. “Some customers start off saying
they’ll eat anything, but then change their minds when
it comes to, say, shellfish.” Another thing he’d like to
change is some diners’ tendency to leave a freshly made
piece of sushi sitting for long periods of time in front of
them, as temperature and moisture content are critical
to sushi’s quality, and change quickly. But he will never
rush a customer. One final example of dubious behav-
ior, which he relates with a laugh, is over-enthusiastic
romance, usually in the form of prolonged kissing by
European diners who may be carried away by the sen-
suality of the food, and the moment. “I’ve had couples
who were all over each other all night,” he says, raising
his distinctive eyebrows and gesturing around his small
room. “It can be a bit much, at the counter.”
8 meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Keynote BSI Business Systems Integration AG
One shouldn’t be friends
with men from which the
best quality is constantly
demanded.
SAWADA GOES AS FAR AS TO CUT A PIECE OF SUSHI IN HALF
IF A CUSTOMER REQUESTS IT.
Hours:
Mon: closed. Tue-Fri: 12 pm–2 pm; 6 pm–9 pm
Sat, Sun, Holidays: 12 pm–3 pm; 5 pm–8 pm
Prices: courses from ¥21,000 (lunch); ¥32,000 (dinner, incl. sashimi course),
not including drinks
Reservations essential: +81 (0)3 3571-4711
Sushi Sawada
MC Blg, 3/F, 5-9-19 Ginza
Chuo-ku, Tokyo
9meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Keynote BSI Business Systems Integration AG
On most days, Sawada starts work before dawn, when
he heads for supplies to nearby Tsukiji – the world’s
biggest fish market. Business dropped off significant-
ly after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disas-
ters of March 11, but is gradually recovering, as evi-
denced by the resumption in July of tour group visits
to the tuna auctions. It is yet to pick up fully at his
restaurant, but there are positive signs.
Does it have to be the freshest fish?Walking between the wholesale stalls among the al-
most infinite variety of fish and molluscs, Sawada
greets his suppliers with a slightly wary friendliness
– it’s no good being overly chummy with men from
whom you are constantly demanding the finest qual-
ity. He stops for a cup of coffee at his tuna wholesa-
ler, Ishimiya, regarded as Tsukiji’s best, where the
blocks of fish glisten like mouth-watering cuts of the
leanest, premium beef. Each piece is displayed with
a tag showing where the tuna was caught – which
could range from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean
or the South Pacific – and the original weight of the
entire fish. The fish has not been frozen: one tuna
caught in Nagasaki was trucked in the previous day;
another from North America arrived through Nari-
ta airport four days before, although in many cases,
says Sawada, with modern transport networks, a fish
caught in Boston arrives sooner than one taken in
Japanese territory.
Contrary to popular belief, the freshest fish is not
necessarily the best for sushi or sashimi; fish bene-
fits from a couple of days’ rest, during which the
cells break down slightly and the flavor and texture
mature – the flesh of just-caught fish is usually too
“tight” to be very tasty. During serving hours, Sawa-
da keeps his fish in an old-fashioned cooler box with
ebony doors that he commissioned from a furniture
craftsman. He loads it with ice daily. It’s an expen-
sive storage method, but the way an icebox main-
tains moisture can’t be duplicated by a refrigerator.
“I like old-style things,” he says, pointing to his bronze
rice cauldron in which he boils water for tea. It makes
the water softer, he says. As much as possible he tries
to stay true to the traditions of what is called Edo-
mae sushi, meaning the sushi that has been made
on the foreshores of Tokyo Bay since the 17th centu-
ry. In this, he may seem like a man slightly out of his
time, although, the way he accommodates customers’
requests shows that his stance is firmly in the future.
This may be the sort of quality that the Michelin jud-
ges picked up on – a modern sushi-ya with respect for
tradition.
Sawada is modest about his stars, though grateful for
the recognition. “When you think about it, Japan is
such a small island country,” he says. “And it’s one
thing to be written about in a magazine that only cir-
culates around these islands. But to be recognized by
an international guidebook, that’s really great.”
He didn’t aim for Michelin success, and when staff
from the guide phoned him to announce his inclusion
in their book and request permission to photograph
his premises, he wasn’t sure who he was talking to.
“I used to lug Michelin tyres in my truck, and I was
friends with the Michelin tyre sales guy, and I thought
it was something to do with that,” he says, smiling. l
Mark Robinson is the author of “Izakaya: the Japanese Pub Cookbook,”
pub. 2008 by Kodansha International.
BSI CRM Release 12.6: Innovation boost for marketing and sales
Overview for marketing campaigns, foresight for sales and a look at the next release.
T he BSI CRM product development plans two
annual releases. Again this year, the winter re-
lease was chock full of technical improvements
and fine tuning.
Update in the marketing moduleThe summer release 12.6 delivers a burst of innova-
tion in the marketing module: multilingual cam-
paigns, graphic campaign overview, import of additi-
onal information, Word as editor for (form) letters
and e-mails. With its new opt-in handling, BSI CRM
users can manage the communication channels per-
mitted by customers in compliance with the law.
Smart cockpit for salesThere is good news for sales. There is a new cockpit
that goes far beyond customary charts, which inte-
grates intelligence and analysis, while delivering
high-performance. In one feature, BSI CRM finds all
customers that merit special attention, displays them
on the radar and also supplements the display with
three complex 2 x 2 matrices to help the user derive
the measures that are appropriate and necessary.
Also integrated in the cockpit is a chat and messaging
function for exchanging information on the latest
trends rapidly and effectively.
MEET THE FUTURE
10 meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Meet the future BSI Business Systems Integration AG
The new BSI CRM
cockpit integrates
intelligence and analysis.
People
Com
pani
es
Task
s
Sales trend
Jun
Data
My own
Team
Dept.
All
Customer proximity
Sales trend
Growth
New employee
Jul Aug Sep
75%-100%
50%-75%
25%-50%
Communication Tasks
Meetings Orders
Work load
Leads
Tickets
Month
Year
All
Week
Period
Rest
Meet
Work
Together
Customer proximity
Satisfaction
Upselling
Quantity
Capacity
0%-25%
Opportunities Offers
Leads
0m
10m
20m
30m
40m
Communication
09.09.11 09:13
The new employee is starting on Mondayin our offices in Baden. Can you givehim a warm welcome?
Re: New employee 09.09.11 09:30
Yes, sure. I'd like to do that - we clearlyneed some help on our team. But I gotto leave at 11 am.
Andreas Ottiger
Stephan Leicht
Budget
Budget prev.year
Sales
Sales prev.year
(4)
POST
FLEET AG
DITTA PRIMA
MAG SCHWEIZ
QUANTUM
POST
FLEET AG
DITTA PRIMA
MAG SUISSE
QUANTUM
BSI CRM Insu...
BSI CRM BECG
BSI CRM Germ...
BSI CRM MAG
BSI CRM CC Frac..
Carl Davies
Chris Wayne
Susan Meier
Caspar Smith
Jan Grist
Furthermore, the sales department can now work
with groups and networks, i.e. direct person-to-per-
son relationships are replaced with groups. For ex-
ample, the “department” group replaces the roles of
“employee” or “superior”. Multiple groups are com-
bined into networks. This enables the depiction of
complex corporate structures as well as decision-
making committees, households or other networks
that are important for your business.
Technical roadmap for BSI CRMThe technical development for the next two releases
is clear: In addition to the current, very sophisticated
client, the focus shall be on the Web and mobile. BSI
CRM was already available to the market as a native
iPhone solution back in 2008. In 2012, BSI CRM will
also run on the Web and other mobile devices, in-
cluding BlackBerry, Android and Windows 7.5.
What is great about this: All three applications run
simultaneously, with the same business logic and with
no new programming. In each case, there are “just”
new displays of the same software. This goes not only
for the standard functionality, but also for all individ-
ually components created with Eclipse Scout, such as
developments created for and by customers.
Functional roadmap for BSI CRMSignificant upgrades will also be added to the functio-
nal modules in release 12.7 of BSI CRM:
A completely refurbished handling of communica-
tion and tasks: The bundling of all existing commu-
nication channels.
The visual display of the networks introduced in the
current release.
The social media channel is being further expanded
in the Contact Center, especially for smoother hand-
ling of all inquiries and messages through an inte-
grated multi-channel contact center; in the process,
BSI CRM does not specialise on the search for data
on the Web or in other platforms, it takes the search
result from other sources and helps agents to re-
spond to inquiries and messages efficiently and to
complete the customer’s 360° view.
The marketing module is receiving two essential up-
grades: A professional bounce handling and a Web
platform to sign up for events or other activities and
for management of the customer’s own data.
The administration view is being rewritten: This
will make it easier for users to administrate the
application themselves and to export and import
socalled blueprints. Blueprints can represent con-
figurations adjusted for individual sectors.
The goal of BSI and BSI CRM is clear: to be the most
intelligent and operative CRM for market leaders.
And we aim to do it at reasonable prices while remain-
ing flexible in terms of integration, ease of operation
and with a complete range of functions. l
meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Meet the future BSI Business Systems Integration AG 11
New users are surprised
by the simple user
interface.
Strong rowers and courageous jumping heroesThe weather had it in for us: After a week of hot summer weather, Saturday kicked
off with pouring rain and just 14 degrees. Nevertheless, 170 BSI employees and part-
ners enjoyed the day with a great dragon boat match.
It was again sunny and warm on Sunday. Just the right weather for a variety of activi-
ties at the Einsiedeln ski jump. Ski jumping and airboarding for our adrenalin junkies
and quieter activities such as house running (more like walking) or a cultural tour of
the Einsiedeln Monastery were on offer.
We were all back at work on Monday, healthy but somewhat tired out!
12 meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Break BSI Business Systems Integration AG
Norma and Sarah are really motivated
Dragon boat race on the picture book perfect Ägerisee. 12 teams battled for the trophy.
Ski jumps in Einsiedeln. Getting a speed rush while airboarding. Hannes “Ammann” Müller. Cultural tour of Einsiedeln Monastery.
meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Break BSI Business Systems Integration AG 13
Blokus HD (CHF 3.–)
Blokus HD is a successful conversion of the game “Blokus”. Place as
many Tetris-like blocks as possible and at the same time try to prevent
your opponent from doing the same. Also available for iPhone or for
non-iPhone owners and Apple components as a board game.
Garage Band (CHF 4.–) It is amazing to hear just how easily and
quickly you can create great-sounding music with this iPad version of
Apple‘s beloved music programme. With the smart instruments, you
can also compose new songs without needing to be able to read music
and without being able to play an instrument. You’ve got to try it!
Sketchbook Express (free)
The giant iPad display is ideally
suited for painting. The “Sketchbook
Express” app offers a wide choice
of brushes and tools. Even the free
version is quite comprehensive.
All you need is a little talent…
BREAK
Knirps. The foldable umbrella. Hans Haupt, the inventor of the first foldable umbrella, found it difficult to
hold an umbrella and a walking stick, which he needed due to a war injury, at
the same time. Necessity is the mother of invention and back in 1928, the
little “Knirps” umbrella set the technological standard for umbrellas, and has
been continuously reinvented through the years leading to the first automatic
version in 1965. This German brand stands for quality, innovation and hard
work. You put their promises to the test yourself in the wind and rain.
Small gifts retain good customer relations. It’s thethought that counts! In this section, we presentinnovative product ideas for effective give-aways.
iPad Camera Connection Kit (http://store.apple.com/ch-de/product/MC531ZM/
A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY) An adapter to transfer, view and presort photos on the iPad.
Extremely practical for photo shoots or while on vacation.
Nicolas’ iPad Apps Software Engineer, BSI
Nice to give
Product: Knirps Fiber T2 Duomatic
Price: Approx. CHF 30 (depending on the quantity
purchase and the requested personalization)
Logo: Can be designed according to customer preference as of 240 umbrellas.
Source: www.strotz.ch, www.knirps.com
14 meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Meet the client BSI Business Systems Integration AG
Early this year, Germany’s most popular insurer,
ERGO Direkt, introduced its new EDwin con-
tact center system in two stages. From the be-
ginning of March to mid-April, 600 customer service
department employees incrementally switched to the
new system. Due to its many system dependencies,
the sales department followed in a “big bang” on May
27, 2011. On that day, 700 people started working the
new system in live operation for the first time. They
consulted clients over the phone, created new offers
in the system and concluded sales. While some staff
members found it easy to switch – one employee even
concluded seven sales – others were reluctant to let go
of the old system.
360° view of the customerThe goal of the system switchover was to create a
standard platform for offer and inventory manage-
ment and also a 360° customer view. Multiple existing
systems were replaced in the process, one of which
had been in use for 19 years. Now, with EDwin, mul-
tiple user interfaces are combined in a single one
in which 36 peripheral systems are connected and
30 processes and around 150 different rates are depic-
ted. E-mail, letter and phone (CTI) communication
channels are completely integrated. With each new
business case – such as a customer inquiry regarding
the scope of coverage of her dental insurance – new
entries are added to the contact history.
“This comprehensive system replacement deeply im-
pacted ERGO Direkt’s business processes. Hardly
a department remained unaffected,” recalled Peter
Goller, Overall Project Manager for the introduction
of EDwin at ERGO Direkt.
Making friends (and having fun) with internal communicationThe internal IKP (Intelligente Kunden-Prozesse – In-
telligent Customer Processes) project was launched on
November 11, 2009. The internal project marketing also
got started along with the technical implementation.
Peter Goller recruited experts on board to assist. The
team formed by Nicole Althof, ERGO Direkt Personnel
Development, and Marion Seyler, Corporate Communi-
cations, had to find out how a project as strategic as this
was to be properly communicated within the company.
“A project of this magnitude was also unexplored territo-
ry for us; we often made decisions based on our gut feel-
ing and had to continuously adjust our communications
measures to what was really needed,” said Marion Seyler
looking back. Nicole Althof added, “That’s why it was
important to head off rumors and to reduce anxiety right
from the beginning. We had to steer the grapevine in the
right direction. The best way to do this is by being present
and maintaining an open dialogue.”
Talk about good things – how ERGO Direkt markets the benefits of its new CRM platform internally
TEXT: CATHERINE B. CROWDEN
PHOTOS: JAN BATTENBERG
MEET THE CLIENT
“WE FOUND AN AGILE, FLEXIBLE PARTNER WITH BSI.”
Peter Goller, Overall Project Manager for the IKP Project at ERGO Direkt
An internally produced film
convinced critics of the pro-
ject at the IKP Company Fair.
15meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Meet the client BSI Business Systems Integration AG
The direct insurer, ERGO Direkt Versicherungen, from Fürth replaced its existing offer and sales system early in 2011. This meant that 19 years of hard-won habits were tossed overboard to make room for a forward-leaning, uniform CRM tool based on BSI CRM. It also meant that 1,300 employees had to be informed and trained before the new system was launched. The internal project communi-cations significantly contributed to the smooth introduction.
What, how much to say and to whom?“Our biggest challenge was the long time horizon,”
opined Marion Seyler, “we didn’t want to get on the
employees’ nerves, but nevertheless accompany the
project throughout its phases and the entire two
years.” With various measures, the benefits of the
new system, the higher closing rates resulting from
easier operation and a more comprehensive customer
view, were communicated, specifically prepared and
with the tone adjusted for the various target groups.
There was a newsletter, a series of quizzes and docu-
ments were stored and questions answered at a promi-
nent spot on the intranet. Target group-specific pop-
ups on the employees’ screens highlighted the project’s
quick wins and provided that special “aha” effect. The
added valued to the company was laid out quarterly in
the employee magazine while confidence in the project
team was bolstered.
Among the highlights of the internal communication
was the IKP Company Fair, in which 1,000 ERGO
Direkt employees received a glimpse of the new soft-
ware. It gave the developers a chance to receive user
feedback. Other critics were convinced by a film pro-
duced featuring the Board, the project manager and
several project members. The name of the system itself
was also voted for among 200 proposals submitted.
However, as effective as all these measures were, per-
sonal contact proved to be the most important tool.
During the “IKP on tour”, Nicole Althof and her
Training Department colleagues attended 45 team
meetings, communicated the benefits of the new sys-
tem and made themselves available for questions. The
team was also in charge of employee training.
Good training reduced uncertainty“Training was a logistical master performance. We had to train 1,300 employees
within three months. We had ten trainers and six rooms at our disposal. Between
the training and the Big Bang, the agents also had a chance to practice with the
e-learning tool,” recalled Nicole Althof, “the team had to throw the old, interna-
lized system overboard and learn something new – such as working with the right
mouse button. In order to be able to fully concentrate on consultation, they had to
learn to “operate the system in their sleep”. Naturally, there are always those who
drag their feet and do not allow themselves to be convinced about something new.
However, the vast majority are profiting from EDwin.”
“We are boosting closing rates due to the simpler operation and comprehensive
customer view. By displaying the complete contact history and the respective con-
tract status, we show our agents the existing up- and cross-selling potential. We
have an improved ability to provide information to our customers and thereby de-
liver better service,” explained Peter Goller in regard to the benefits of the system
replacement.
Onsite support builds confidenceThe agents did not hold back when providing direct feedback. They depend on a
well-functioning system. Being on site, receiving feedback, solving problems and
diminishing uncertainties were important tasks during the project phases. On the
big introduction day, BSI employees and ERGO Direkt trainers patrolled wearing
yellow warning vests among the agents to be at their side in an instant if needed.
“It was not just BSI’s customer proximity that matched ERGO Direkt well. We are
a courageous company that tries many things out for the first time and therefore
needed an agile, flexible partner – all this we found with BSI,” stated Peter Goller. l
“WE ARE BOOSTING OUR CLOSING RATE BY DISPLAYING UP-SELLING POTENTIAL.” Peter Goller
A contest was held to name
the new system.
16 meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Meet the client BSI Business Systems Integration AG
Why do you call your CRM system KISS?After making more than 300 million deliveries in the last business year, we are now
Germany’s largest private logistics service provider. Introducing a company-wide
CRM system that covers all customer segments and forms an interface between
the customer and the logistics system is a highly complex undertaking. Therefore,
KISS has two meanings: On the one hand, it stands for customer information and
management system (in German: Kunden-Informations-und Steuerungs-System)
and on the other hand, it is also a well-known acronym for “Keep It Smart and
Simple” – which became the project’s guiding principle.
How successfully have you achieved this simplification?We were initially confronted with a heterogeneous system landscape that grew
over the years. Before KISS was introduced, we analysed all existing processes
and redefined them in the “green meadow”. The target was clear: The processes
should be simple, lean and transparent. Why is this so important? Because at Her-
mes Logistik Gruppe, the customer service department mirrors the entire compa-
ny in miniature. Everything, all products and services, each customer and client,
must be known here. It is essential that products and services can be quickly im-
plemented in the corresponding processes. Each department receives the same
state of information for each process step and can thereby react quickly and find
the right solutions for our customers.
Who works with KISS at Hermes Logistik Gruppe?We cover the entire value creation chain, from sales and marketing, to customer ser-
vice and operations. Our 59 branch offices are connected and have complete access,
which enables us to create transparency and consistency when it comes to customer
data, and optimally enables our agents to provide information and handle inquiries.
From order receipt to dispatch information, from pro-
vision of an alternative shipping address to routing
the package to the PaketShop – at Hermes, we make
it possible in a convenient manner!
Each individual customer contact is classified ac-
cording to the reason for the contact and assigned
to the appropriate position. Has the customer re-
ceived a notification card? Would the customer like
to have a delivery to be picked up at his house? The
allocation makes it possible to find a fast, uncom-
plicated solution for each individual case. The sub-
sequent analysis of the customer contact helps us
to constantly improve ourselves and to avoid future
complaints.
The test winner Hermes Logistik relies on BSI CRM
TEXT: CATHERINE B. CROWDEN
PHOTO: BJÖRN WILKE
MEET THE CLIENT
Hermes Logistik Gruppe
Deutschland is pleased
about its successful intro-
duction of BSI CRM.
Michael Barbarino, Customer Service Department
Head of Hermes Logistik Gruppe Deutschland (HLGD) GmbH,
initiated the company-wide project in 2007 with the aim
of offering all company departments the same state of
information and creating a documented customer contact
history to network sales, marketing and customer service
and to connect the customer with the logistics system. The
call center went live back in 2008 and since 2010 the KISS
system is now used throughout the company.
17meeting BSI I No. 2/11 I Meet the client BSI Business Systems Integration AG
Most CRM initiatives originate in sales or marketing and are stringently implemented step by step through the company on into the contact center. This is not the case at Hermes Logistik Gruppe Deutschland where the CRM philosophy originated in the contact center and grew from there. The conceptual cornerstone was laid back in 2007 by a project team headed by Michael Barbarino, Divi-sion Manager Customer Service. Today, Germany’s largest private logistics service provider with del-iveries to end customers (B2C and C2C sectors) uses CRM throughout the company. In the following interview with Meeting BSI, Michael Barbarino sums up the project highlights.
As the Stiftung Warentest test winner, you have to meet high service requirements.We take our customer and service orientation very
seriously. The introduction of the KISS system is pri-
marily intended to provide our customers and clients
with a tangible added value. The topic of “address
management” is a good example of this: For deliv-
eries that were handed to us by the client with an in-
correct delivery address we find the right address and
send the delivery there. What sets us apart from the
competition here is that we send the correct data to
the client. In this way, we offer both the sender and
package recipient added value and make sure that fu-
ture deliveries go to the proper address.
We sought a partner who shared this same customer orientation and who also lives
up to our service claim. BSI offered us not only the right IT solutions, but a clear
system with forward-looking technology and the willingness to jointly implement
our service philosophy.
What challenges confronted you during the project implementation?The transition to the new system was not permitted to be noticeable to our cus-
tomers. During the entire switchover, operations and customer services continued
working unabated – it was like open-heart surgery. That was a real challenge and,
of course, there were minor stumbling blocks, such as project delays in some areas.
My advice would be: A project like this needs a master plan that sets the course.
It is essential that the implementation occurs in phases and milestones. Not all
processes and all departments can be adapted at the same time – it is advisable
to take it step by step and not to aim for the “big bang”. Most important of all is
good teamwork between the project heads and the IT department. We were only
able to achieve this good end result with closely coordinated cooperation between
everyone involved.
How would you sum it up?So far, this has been an entirely successful project – yet, one that is also not yet
completed, because we are currently working on introducing the CRM system
generally throughout all Hermes Group companies. This ultimately means a great
deal of work, but it is worth it.
We have already achieved a great deal. For example, we now have a real 360° view
of our customers’ needs. This goes both for business clients, such as Otto or QVC,
and their customers as package recipients. l
“IN THIS WAY WE CREATE TRANSPARENCY AND CONTINUITY OF CUSTOMER DATA AND ARE BETTER PREPARED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION.”Michael Barbarino, Customer Service Department Head at Hermes Logistik
18 meeting BSI I No. 2/10 I Meet the team BSI Business Systems Integration AG
How long have you been with BSI and
how did you get here?
I completed my studies in Halle three years ago. My
girlfriend had already moved to Bern a few months be-
fore to study here. So, it was clear that I was going to
follow her. One night at the movies, my girlfriend saw
one of BSI’s ad spots for recruiting developers and told
me about it. I looked around on the BSI website and
came across an article by Jens B.Thuesen about the
corporate values and got excited. I applied right away
and received a call the very next day – on a Thursday –
and was invited to come in for a meeting the following
Monday. Things moved quickly after that – it was like
love at first sight. Surely it was mutual.
What does a bioinformatician do? And particularly:
What does he do at BSI?
This is a relatively new field of study. It combines the
fields of biology and information science, because in
Biology there are enormous amounts of data that must
be evaluated. The basic study programme consists of
both subjects equally; which is why I decided for it, be-
Allow us to introduce you?
MEET THE TEAM
TEXT: CHRISTINE HINNEN
PHOTOS: SEVERAL SOURCES
Martin Jess
Born in: Halle an der Saale
Birthday: 21 October 1981
Astrological sign: Libra
Nationality: German
Diploma: Bioinformatician Diploma, Martin Luther
University Halle-Wittenberg
Lives and works in: Bern
Favorite colour:
Yellow. Not lemon yellow – Swiss Post yellow.
Favorite animal:
Red panda.
Favorite vacation destination:
Australia
Although, I never really wanted to go there.
Favorite film:
Trainspotting
However as a film
aficionado, the decision
wasn’t easy for me.
Favorite beverage:
Club-Mate. It is sort of a trademark
of mine. I always have one with me,
even at my customers.
19meeting BSI I No. 2/10 I Meet the team BSI Business Systems Integration AG
The cook serves the meal – and Martin Jess serves up what he does directly at the customer, the Swiss Post. Martin Jess sees himself as a lucky guy. He lives in the “most beautiful town in Switzerland”. He can do what he loves every day. Boredom does not exist for him, and he enthusiastically takes on the new challenges that keep coming.
cause I was always interested by both fields. More em-
phasis is then placed on information science in the main
studies. I also have to deal with large volumes of data in
my work at BSI. And when it comes to the evaluation,
it is ultimately irrelevant where the data comes from...
What do you like about BSI?
I am excited about the company’s philosophy and
the way it works. Everyone is deployed in the areas
in which he or she is strong, we all complement one
another. There are no competitive struggles. If a
problem comes up, the guilty party isn’t sought, but
the necessary solutions. And here I am allowed to
do what is fun for me, each and every day!
With BSI you are part of the Post team and
are in charge of projects there from beginning
to end. What’s that like?
At the beginning I couldn’t image that I’d be doing sales.
I was a developer! However, because we don’t just sell
the customer any old thing, but first listen to them and
provide feedback to find out just what they need right
now and then provide it, the work turns out to be very
much a partnership. I am nearly always present, from
the setting of requirements and the specification to the
development and testing to the productive launch at the
end. I see the fruits of my labour as well as the users’
pleasure. This means that I have a much closer relation-
ship to the end product and am pleased to present our
results to the customer. I also find the customer proximi-
ty very interesting because I am constantly learning new
things and get to know all sorts of people.
It sounds like your days can be quite intense.
How do you achieve a lifework balance?
Well, actually the Post is around me all the time: I can
see Schönburg, the Post headquarters, from my bed-
room window... (laughs). In my free time, I like to get
together with friends and I also like to play basketball
for a healthy balance. While I don’t play in a club any-
more, I go to the basketball court regularly to prac-
tice. By the way, I think the way the sports facilities
are maintained here in Switzerland is fantastic. And
for a mental balance, I like art, films and concerts. l
19
meetingBSI customer magazine I No. 2/11 I www.bsiag.com
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